Know important Fashion Design Exams 2025

Some of the top entrance exams for admission to fashion design courses include NIFT, CEED, NID, etc. Here we discuss the exams threadbare and explain which exam fits the bill as per your expectations are concerned. So read on.

Design as a career option has grown steadily in recent years—so much so that it can no longer be considered a niche course.

Design courses today are offered at top institutes like IITs. Then there are the NIFTs and NIDs which are the top design institutes in the country and continue to attract top candidates cutting across academic disciplines.

If you are interested in pursuing a career in fashion design then you will have to appear in an entrance exam.

The NIFTs conduct the NIFT entrance exam, while admission to the NIDs is through the NID DAT entrance exam.

Know major fashion designing exams in India:

1. NIFT Entrance test:

The very well known National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), has its own exam - NIFT entrance exam. It is conducted to select students for admission various undergraduate and masters' courses that range from design, management and technology.

The popular design courses offered by NIFT participatinhg colleges are - B.Des, M.Des, B.F.Tech, M.F.Tech, and M.F.M.

Through this exam, students will be examined on the basis of various parameters like skill, aptitude, and knowledge. NIFT exam is divided into 4 parts:

• Situation test
• General ability test
• Creative ability test
• Managerial ability test

2. Common Entrance Examination for Design (CEED):

CEED is a well known All India level examination for engineers, post graduates and fine arts graduates for admission to postgraduate degree programmes in design offered by IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur, IIT Guwahati, and IISc Bangalore. Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay conducts this exam to examine the aspirant's aptitude for design. Students are examined on the basis of visual perception ability, drawing skills, logical reasoning, creativity, and communication skills.

To be eligible for this exam, one must possess a bachelor's degree in Engineering, Architecture, Design, or Interior Design or its equivalent.

Scores of the exam is considered for admission to the M.Des program.

3. Pearl Academy of Fashion Entrance Exam:

Pearl Academy of Fashion also known as PAF is counted amongst the top design institutes in India. It conducts PAF test for admission to its 4-year degree courses in Fashion Design, Fashion Merchandising & Production, Fashion Retail & Merchandising, Communication Design, Textile Design and Jewelry Design.

For Fashion Merchandising & Production, Fashion Retail & Merchandising, one need to appear for ‘The General Proficiency test' which examines the aspirant's proficiency in language (comprehension, vocabulary and expression), mathematics of 10th standard, logic etc.

For admission in Fashion Design, Textile Design, Jewelry Design, and Communication Design, one needs to appear for the Design Aptitude Test (DPT) as well as the General Proficiency Test (GPT). Design Aptitude Test (DPT) will test the aspirant's skills in perception, illustration, drawing visualization, color etc.

4. NID Entrance Exam

National Institute of Design (NID) is the finest educational and research institution for industrial, Communication, Textile and IT Integrated (Experiential) Design. NID is conducted by the institute for admission to the B.Des and M.Des courses offered by participating colleges.

NID is divided into 2 phases:

• DAT Prelims
• DAT Mains - Includes a Studio test and Personal interview

By performing well in above mentioned exams, one can secure a good career in the fashion industry.

Other interesting reads:

- Get to know design institutes in India

- New scholarship for career in design